


Collectibles

by StreetHawk1945



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Angels, Auctions, Blood and Violence, Character Death, Demons, Dubious Consent, F/F, F/M, Fae & Fairies, Fantasy, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Kidnapping, Legends, M/M, Magic, Mild Gore, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Not Suitable/Safe For Work, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sexual Violence, Suffering, Urban Legends, Vampires, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-02-19 17:21:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22002043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StreetHawk1945/pseuds/StreetHawk1945
Summary: The myths and legends of your childhood are real. They're living, and breathing, and they sell for a tempting profit. Humans have yet to understand these new creatures who they have come to share to their home with. And with ignorance, comes fear. Jasper Wilding is a fairy, captured by the Hunters and registered under the government to be sold at the next auction. Distraught with grief, Jasper tries to make his way in this cruel world as he meets people just like him, and others who are quite the opposite.
Relationships: Felicity/Kafir, Jasper/Beck, Jasper/Isaac
Kudos: 11





	1. Prologue

People used to tell him that thirteen was an unlucky number. Jasper never believed them.

  
Thirteen of them lived in that little six-bedroom town house. It was cramped, but they all enjoyed each other’s company and it was the only way they could afford such a place. It wasn’t like any of them could earn legitimate employment. At least, not without getting caught.

  
There were six fairies in the house, two elves, three mermaids, one werewolf, and one angel. All of them were targets. Ever since the discovery of mythical creatures over 70 years ago, they had become a commodity. Something to be bought, traded, stole. No myth was safe. Not the mighty dragon, nor the angelic angel. They were hunted like animals and treated even worse. Some were sold for their bodies; for labour, entertainment or pleasure. Others were bought to be hunted. Jasper had heard horror stories of entire families of fairies being bought then released into a forest, only to be shot down one by one by men in fancy suits who laughed and drank as they bragged over their kills. He was lucky. The deceitfulness of his parents had allowed him to avoid conflict altogether. Not everyone in their makeshift family was so lucky. Felicity, the werewolf, had her tail carved off by hunters before she could escape. Kafir’s wings were in someone’s trophy room.

  
In that little house, those thirteen could hide together and survive together. They could pretend they were safe. That they were normal.

  
In such a small space there was hardly enough room for their personalities, let alone their abilities and there were frequent arguments. Whether it was over whose turn it was to use the bathroom, or who got to spread their wings in the living room, it was never a quiet place. Jasper loved it that way. He had never been a man to enjoy silence, unlike his partner. Jasper and Isaac were both fairies, though they had come from very different places. Jasper had been raised in the city and taught tricks and lies to keep his identity hidden at all cost whilst Isaac hadn’t known about the suffering of his people until he was nearly captured himself, just six months before he had met Jasper.  
Since that moment he’d moved into the house, Jasper had overseen keeping them concealed from the outside world. All curtains had to be drawn should anyone want to expose their true physical forms and the use of magic without reason was strictly forbidden. Only six of the people living there were even allowed to leave the house. The mermaid triplets, Morgan, Maya and Ripley, all had jobs in the local diner, Felicity worked at the corner shop and Isaac wrote articles for the local newspaper. It wasn’t a lot, but it was just enough to get them by.

  
Jasper could never leave. As it was his magic tied to the house, he had to stay. He did his best to keep himself occupied during the long days. There were plenty of people to socialise with, though the elves kept to themselves, and there was enough to keep him occupied what with cooking for and cleaning up after 12 active creatures. He wanted more. He wanted a life, like the one he knew humans had.

  
Perhaps he would have stopped wishing for that if he had known what horrors were to await him and his family.


	2. The Hunt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of violence in this one, more characters and more plots to be introduced in the coming chapters. For now, this is your introduction to the cruel world of modern mythical creatures.

It was around 5 o’clock in the evening, and Jasper was in the kitchen preparing dinner for everyone. Isaac’s articles hadn’t sold well that month, so they were just having soup, but it smelt delicious and the house had been smothered in the warm aromas of a home-cooked meal and freshly baked bread. Jasper loved moments like this. 

The triplets weren’t back yet but other than that, they had a full house and the kitchen was buzzing with energy. Isaac was chattering to Jasmine as he set the table, Kafir and Felicity were arguing over which bowl they got to use, and the other three fairies were in the living room watching the latest episode of their favourite TV show. Jasper turned around from where he had been stirring the soup, just wanting to sit back and watch. Usually he’d be setting the table with Isaac but it had been his turn to cook and he was happy to do so. Anything to keep Kafir from burning their kitchen down trying to make mac ‘n cheese. He smiled to himself, turning around and beginning to cut up the bread. Longs arms suddenly made their way around his waist, pulling him back and into the body attached to them. He hummed softly, feeling warm breath against his ear.

“Smells good, is it nearly done?” Isaac’s gentle voice purred against his neck. Jasper was quite a bit shorter than the younger man. In fact, they were near opposite in every way. Isaac was tall and slim: blonde with pale eyes and sharp, freckled features. Jasper on the other hand was almost exotic in appearance with deep brown eyes, brunette hair and a short, more feminine figure. Jasper hummed his reply, turning around and smiling. “Nearly. I hope you’ve claimed one of the bread rolls, I’m pretty sure Kafir has licked the one he wants.” He laughed and Isaac shook his head, smiling right on back at him. “Like this?” He leaned forward, licking the corner of Jasper’s lips and making the man flush. He nodded and Isaac grinned.

There was a knock at the door then and Jasper tapped Isaac’s nose. “That’ll be the triplets. You wanna get it?” He hummed, leaning forward to kiss the soft lips that were right in front of his face. Isaac nodded, but he didn’t pull away from the embrace and Kafir rolled his eyes. “I’ll get it.” He huffed, leaving the bowl he had been fighting over to move towards the door. He unlocked the first latch, then paused.

They had a system. If it was someone they knew and could trust, that person would push a scrap of paper under the door when they’d heard the first lock click. Kafir waited for a second, and then relaxed. A small piece of paper, like that from a waitress’ pad, slipped under the door frame. Kafir smiled and quickly turned the key in it’s lock.

As soon as the heavy click sounded, the door slammed open. In a single moment, their quiet family moment was destroyed.

Kafir was knocked aside by the door and landed amongst the pile of shoes and coats with a heavy thud. A single cannister was thrown into the room where it burst upon impact, spreading a thick and heavy gas through the room. Everything had happened too fast for Jasper to even contemplate trying to understand it all but he was already on the move. He had grabbed Isaac’s hand and was dragging him up the stairs and away from the chaos that reigned below. He had to ignore the screams of the others he’d left behind and instead he focused on getting them up and away from the Hunters. His lungs ached from the little gas he’d inhaled but with his t-shirt covering his mouth he was able to avoid the worst of it. For now. Footsteps were right behind them.

They had to have been compromised. The triplets weren’t there, maybe they’d been found out, captured, and forced to reveal their home in order to survive. Jasper would never blame this on them if that was the case. He was about to head up the second flight of stairs when Isaac seemed to come back to life. “In here.” He muttered, dragging Jasper back and into the nearest bedroom.

Isaac slammed the door shut behind them before muttering a spell under his breath that cast a pale glow across the wood. Jasper was at a loss for words. “Isaac- Isaac- what… what are you doing?? We have to go- we have to get out of here!” He cried, shoving past him and towards the window. He tried to jimmy it open but his own spells held steadfast and hands were grabbing at him before he could start to undo the magic.

“There’s no time Jasper. We don’t have time. We must give in. They found us.” When Jasper turned to face Isaac, he was shocked by what he saw. Terror had overtaken every feature of his lover’s face. There was no fight in his eyes and Jasper couldn’t think of a way to respond that didn’t include screaming some sense into him. He swallowed, trying to ignore the fists banging on the door. “Isaac- We can get out of here we’ll go on the run we’ve done it before-“

“No, Jasper. If we hand ourselves in, we might be able to find each other again in the future. I can’t live without knowing you’re alive, even if you’re too far away for me to reach you. We have to hand ourselves over, I don’t want to lose you.” Isaac muttered, unable to even look at Jasper as he spoke. Jasper opened his mouth to reply but choked on a sob instead. Thin tendrils of smoke were creeping their way under the doorframe and the incantations from the other side told them their spell would soon be broken.

They had already run out of time.

Jasper made up his mind as the door was forced open. He refused to go down without a fight. He grabbed the lamp from the bedside table and swung it at the first person to walk through the door. There was a satisfying crack as it made contact with a Hunter but Jasper didn’t waste his time. They were outnumbered and they needed to get to the attic. He knew there was a window there that he hadn’t enchanted. That was how they would get out. Isaac was still frozen beside him so Jasper grabbed his arm and forced him past the Hunter and out of the room. They took the stairs two at a time, ignoring the orders to stand down. Never. Jasper would never give in like that.

As they reached the second floor, Jasper made the mistake of glancing into the elves’ room. The two of them were dead. Flowing locks were tangled around their intertwined bodies: the bloodied daggers in their hands winking at Jasper as he sprinted past. On this night there would be two less for the Hunters to claim as their own.

He pushed onwards. They had to get into the attic and the only way to do that was to pull the rope down from the ceiling and wait for the stairs to collapse. He stepped back as the stairs started to unfold, coughing some of the smoke from his lungs as he waited. His eyes were burning now, though he couldn’t tell if that was because of the smoke or the tears that blurred his vision. “Go up, please Isaac just get up there!” Jasper hated having to beg when Isaac was barely even with him anymore. It seemed it took another sob racking his body to convince the blonde to start climbing the stairs and he finally released a deep breath. Just as he stepped onto the ladder, a hand wrapped around his other ankle. Jasper kicked out. “Get away!” He yelled, practically hissing at the faceless mask of the Hunter. The kick barely landed, and he was dragged back to the floor. His head smacked against the wood on the way down and he gasped out.

“Don’t damage that one! It’s the prettiest one we’re gonna get.” A voice called out from somewhere down the corridor and that was when Jasper realised. The house was practically silent. He was the only one making sound now: the only one still fighting. Everyone else had been captured or was already dead and his muscles trembled at the thought of his friends in such a state. He had tried so hard to keep it from getting to this point. He had spent nearly every day of the past 6 months behind these walls, and hundreds more before it hiding his true self from almost everyone he met just to maintain the façade of peace. It had all been for nothing.

Isaac stepped down from the attic when the Hunter holding onto Jasper started attaching a cuff to the boy’s leg. He slammed his foot down onto the Hunter’s wrist, snapping it and earning a cry of pain for his efforts.

Face contorted in a terrified snarl, Isaac punched at the attacker with as much force as he could muster, breaking the mask upon his face and sending it spinning across the floor. Jasper used the distraction to get to his feet, and as soon as he knew Isaac was on his tail, he fled up and into the attic. He had never seen Isaac do anything so violent but there was no time to dwell on it. There were more Hunters on their tails and Isaac couldn’t pull the ladder up behind him. They had seconds, if that, and Jasper nearly jumped out of his skin when hands grabbed at his face. Isaac.

“I love you, and I always will.” He breathed, Jasper’s breath catching in his throat at the words. He couldn’t speak, why couldn’t he speak? He nodded over and over again as tears started to slip down his cheeks without restraint. He practically threw himself at the taller man, wrapping his arms around him and stealing one last touch.

A Hunter was the one to pull them apart. His hideous mask was missing and Jasper felt pride swell in his chest when he saw the blood splattered across his face. His own blood, for once. “Give it in, this is your last warning.” The man threatened, baring his teeth. Jasper nearly flinched at the look, but he wouldn’t give these bastards the satisfaction of seeing him cry. He clenched his jaw and stood his ground.

“I want to know where you’re taking my friends. I want to go with them. I want us to be kept together.” Another Hunter had come up the stairs then and laughed when he heard Jasper’s demands.

“I can’t believe this Michael. We’ve got the rest of them in the truck and this one still thinks it gets a choice in what happens to it.” He mocked, stepping forward and suddenly pointing his blade in Jasper’s direction. It was slick with blood.

Jasper swallowed, ignoring the way Isaac was shaking his head for him to shut up. “Y-you wouldn’t dare... I’m worth too much.” His voice had quivered, and god how he hated letting them hear his fear. Though what he really despised was referring to himself as a commodity. He wasn’t stupid. He would sell well at an auction. The Hunter pressed the knife closer before reaching up to take off his mask. His jaw was sharp and his eyes dangerous. Full of bloodlust.

“You sure about that?” He breathed, pushing the blade closer till Jasper felt the sharp point pierce his shirt and push against his skin.

“Knock it off, Ian.” Michael scolded, grabbing Jasper and shoving him down and onto his knees. Isaac had remained silent up until that point, when he hissed. “Don’t hurt him.” He muttered, making Jasper’s gaze immediately fall upon him. Jasper frowned, watching as Ian froze in his place.

The Hunter dropped the cuff he had been sorting out and slowly walked over to where Isaac was still stood. He looked up at him, staring at him like one would stare at a piece of meat in the butchers shop. Only Ian didn’t look pleased with this particular cut. “State your species.” He demanded, snapping his fingers when Isaac hesitated for even a second.

“Fairy.” Ian scoffed, looking him up and down.

“In more ways than one I presume. That one over there your little fucktoy?” The crude words slipped from his dirty tongue with ease and Jasper watched as Isaac growled. That was apparently enough for Ian. “I see.” He hummed, glancing at Michael for just a second before he turned and plunged his sword deep into Isaac’s gut.

Isaac gasped. Pain flooded his gaze and Jasper couldn’t tear his own eyes away. He couldn’t hear anything, he couldn’t speak. He couldn’t even move.

All he could do was stare as Isaac dropped to the floor. Blood began to pour from the wound as soon as the sword was released and within seconds Isaac had gone limp. Dead.

Jasper started screaming around the time Michael stood on his back to stop him from getting up to go to his lover. He flailed and fought, kicked and cried, but the cuffs went around his wrists and ankles all the same. He wasn’t aware of Michael scolding Ian for such a needless death and he wasn’t aware of the other Hunters who swarmed the space to carry his struggling body out from the attic.

Ian was still stood over Isaac’s body. He casually wiped the blood from his blade on Isaac’s hoodie, smirking when he finally made eye-contact with Jasper. “You were right sweetheart, you’re worth three of him.” He blew a kiss in Jasper’s direction, making him try to fight even more.

Despite his efforts, a gag was forced into his mouth and he was carried out of the house and thrown into the truck with everyone else. The triplets were there and like the others they were bound and gagged. There was nothing to say either way.

Jasper continued to shout until a blow across his skull finally knocked him unconscious. He slumped over as the truck began to drive off, leaving nothing but bodies behind them.

People used to tell Jasper that thirteen was an unlucky number. Maybe he would finally begin to believe them.


	3. Bound

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are liking it so far!

The first thing that Jasper felt when he awoke was grief. Before he had even opened his eyes, he was consumed by an overwhelming sense of guilt and denial and pain over what he had lost. As he lay there, too exhausted to open his eyes, he pined for the life that had slipped from his fingertips. No matter what happened today, or tomorrow, or even in a year’s time, it would never be the same as what he had before. Isaac was just a thing of the past.

Jasper wasn’t sure how long it took him to finally stir from his thoughts but when he did, the first thing he noticed was how dark it was. There was a single bulb hanging from the ceiling and it flickered feebly. The cell was dim, but surprisingly clean. He looked around him and noticed the restraints keeping his wrists held in place above his head. He couldn’t have stood up even if he wanted to. There was a dirty mattress beneath him, and he was only grateful to have his clothes acting as a barrier between him and whatever germs lay on it. He was alone, at least. He had no idea where the others were but for some selfish reason, he couldn’t find it in himself to care. For once he had to think about his own survival. He tried to sit up to alleviate some of the pressure from his wrists but found that his ankles were pinned to the floor with cuffs that were drilled into the concrete. He huffed, letting his head fall back against the cool wall.

It wasn’t exactly homely, but it was certainly less clinical than he had been expecting. Call him pessimistic, but he had always imagined what it would be like when he got captured by Hunters. This was not really what he had envisioned.

The adrenaline of the fight began to wear off as the minutes ticked by and soon Jasper experienced all the regular emotions and sensations someone in his position would. His tongue sat like sandpaper in his mouth and there wasn’t even enough moisture for him to swallow comfortably. When he did try, he could only cough and his stomach groaned in protest. How long had it been since they knocked him out? Since… He swallowed back the emotions that had threatened to emerge. He couldn’t let himself shut off when he was in such a dangerous place. He needed to be alert.

Almost as if on cue, the door to the cell suddenly swung open and banged against the concrete wall. Jasper cringed at the sound. His head still felt fuzzy from being hit and he was sure he had mild concussion. Not that the man that walked in cared about that.

“Alright so here’s how this is going to go.” A short, broad man had practically strutted his way into the room and stopped in front of Jasper, a disapproving look in his eyes. “You’re not going to try and kill us, and we’ll let you out of those chains. You can move around the room, use the toilet whatever whatever, and we’ll even give you some food. That sound good? Good.” Jasper didn’t even get the opportunity to reply to the offer that was given. Part of him wanted to cause an uproar as soon as his shackles were removed but he could see the cattle prod hanging from the man’s belt and he decided now was not the time to bite the hand that was about to feed him. He said nothing, instead just staring up at the man with narrowed eyes and a scowl on his face. The man stared right back at him, challenging him for almost thirty seconds, before Jasper finally looked away. Damn.

“Okay good. Glad we got that straightened out.” A woman came in and placed a tray of food on the floor as well as a glass of water that Jasper went for without hesitation. They had no reason to drug it when they already had him. Whilst he ate, the man continued to speak.

“Jasper Wilding,” Jasper looked up at the sound of his name. How did they get hold of his papers so quickly? “My name is General Carver to you, and I am in charge of prisoner relations. If you have a problem, I probably won’t care, but you’re welcome to come to me. As you’re in a fairly good state, you will be included in the catalogue for the auction in a month’s time on the 21st.” Jasper was trying his best not to zone out but he could already tell that this speech was nothing more than a script. “Between now and that time, you will remain in this facility. If you behave and do as you’re told, you may earn nicer foods and better care. Interaction between Mythies is strictly forbidden for 23 hours of the day, though you will be given time to socialise with someone for one hour. You will not be allowed to choose who you talk to.”

Jasper opened his mouth to complain and Carver stopped his speech. His hand went to grip the weapon strapped to his side and Jasper quickly raised his hands in surrender. “I’m not going to kick off, I just have some questions.” Carver grunted in response and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Like what.”

“Like… do I get to keep any of my old possessions? Do I get to move to a room with a proper bed or is this it for scum like me?” Carver looked at him then, raising a brow almost as though he was suddenly amused.

“Behave and we’ll see.”

God. Jasper would strangle the smug look from that face in a heartbeat if he didn’t think it would end with him writhing in a foaming heap on the floor. He did roll his eyes however and Carver chuckled.

“I think you’ll enjoy it here.” And with that he stepped from the room, shutting the door behind him and locking it.

Jasper released a breath as the tension slowly began to seep from his body. He had already finished the measly portion of bland food that had been on his plate and his stomach growled as if to demand more. He was sure there were more rules that he needed to follow once he got out of this damned cell but for now he knew what his goal was. He had to stay sane, he had to try and escape, but he also had to stay on the good side of the guards. It would make his life for the next month ever so slightly easier and if he was in good spirits when he left, it would allow a far easier escape from the person or company that purchased him. His fate had already been stated: he was going to an auction.

Out of the few options that were available, he wasn’t sure if he really preferred this one. Once a mythical creature, or ‘Mythie’ as they were referred to, had been captured by the government-controlled Hunters, their fate would be decided based off how valuable they could be.

Those with a high price tag would be placed in auctions where wealthy buyers could purchase them for whatever purpose they desired. This was the fate that awaited him in a month’s time. Mermaids and beasts were typically picked up by morally questionable wildlife parks who wanted to show them off to the world, whilst many of the more beautiful species were sold for their bodies. There were entire gentlemen’s clubs where the only dancers were Mythies, forced to work against their will. Jasper would still prefer that to going to one sick individual. He didn’t want to become a toy.

Then there were the ‘Retreats’. The Retreats were not as relaxing as they sounded and instead were as unethical as you could get. Mythies were forced to use their powers to aid in construction or other projects. Some of the most beautiful buildings of the past few decades had been built on the backs of angels. It was from one of these retreats that Jasper’s parents had escaped from with him when he was just a toddler. He had no memory of it, but they had never painted a pretty picture. He imagined Kafir would got to a place like that as his amputated wings took away any value he may have had before. That was, if the third fate hadn’t befallen him.

Jasper swallowed and squeezed his eyes shut. Many never even survived the Hunters. He knew that all too well now.

He must have drifted off whilst trying to ignore the growing pain in his heart because the next thing Jasper was aware of was someone stood in the doorway to his cell, staring right at him. It took him a second to fully process where he was again, but he quickly scrambled to his feet, a hateful look in his eyes and clenched fists by his sides.

“What do you want?” Jasper called, thankful for the sarcastic bite to his words.

“When’s your auction?” The figure asked, his voice ever so slightly familiar. Jasper frowned but didn’t relax. He could see the heavy belt and boots that the man was wearing so he knew this was still a soldier of some kind. He could argue, but Carver’s words remained fresh on his mind. “The 21st, next month.” Jasper replied. The figure shuffled on the spot for a brief second before stepping into the light. It was Michael. Jasper immediately felt anger rush his system and he had to clench his jaw to stop himself from lashing out. “Why do you want to know?” He snapped, eyes narrowed.

Michael shrugged his shoulders a little though his gaze was no longer on Jasper. He looked around the cell slowly: taking in the filthy mattress on the floor, the empty plate and cup, and the general aura of misery. “I wanted to see if you wanted anything.”

Jasper almost stumbled backwards from the surprise of Michael’s words. This absolutely had to be a trick. He looked around his room as well and imagined, for the briefest of moments, that he was staying somewhere nicer than this. “I want a bed.” The words were out of his mouth before he even thought to look back at Michael. He needed to study the man because he needed to know what kind of answer he was going to get. His boldness left him expecting to be laughed at and maybe even kicked back down onto his mattress again but instead… “Sure.” Michael nodded, clasping his hands in front of him. “Anything else?”

“What do you want?” Jasper repeated. “Why are you offering this?” He couldn’t help himself or the accusatory tone in his voice. This wasn’t right. Once again, Michael just shrugged.

“I don’t know.”

Though he didn’t want to believe him, Jasper wasn’t sure if he had much of a choice. Was this what Carver had meant? Jasper didn’t think it was going to be so easy. He licked his dry lips and thought for another second. “Can I have some more water? And maybe some of my clothes… if you have those.” Once again, he was answered with another nod and he felt strangely bad for ever doubting Michael. He had every right to. The man had captured him and his friends and done nothing as Isaac had- Jasper swallowed.

“I’ll get on it. How are- you feel alright?” Michael asked but he didn’t wait for the reply. Before Jasper could even think about his answer, Michael had left the room, slamming the door behind him. The lock turned with a click and Jasper was forced to sit down.

He felt dizzy at what had just happened. All the stress of having to overthink everything was too much for him when he’d enjoyed such a peaceful six months. Isaac had been the thinker out of the two of them, or at least Jasper thought that was what he was. After what had happened back at the house, he was starting to doubt everything he knew about his lover. He still couldn’t believe that Isaac hadn’t wanted to run or even try to get away from the Hunters. There was a nagging thought at the back of Jasper’s brain that they could have escaped had they gone straight up to the attic at the very start of it all…

He didn’t know why he was bothering to dwell on it. What he did and didn’t know about Isaac was obsolete now. The man was dead.

Tears began to well up in Jasper’s eyes and he let his head rest against his knees. This next month was going to be fine. He had charisma and he knew how to get what he wanted from people so dealing with the guards would be easy, especially if they were all like Michael. He didn’t want to think about the auction, so he didn’t.

He fell asleep soon after, though the last fleeting thought on his mind was that it was strange for a Hunter to be working as a prison guard in the first place…


	4. Negotiate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think and whether I should add more tags or whatever. Warning for fairly graphic violence.

It was another 24 hours before Jasper was well enough to be moved. He had been right about having a concussion and had spent the night unable to keep anything in his stomach with a headache that made him want to bash his head against the concrete walls around him. Neither Michael nor General Carver had made a second appearance, and instead Jasper had been left to fend for himself. He wasn’t even sure if they knew he was unwell.

By the time someone came into his cell the next morning to collect him, he had collapsed.

When he awoke, he was no longer inside of the same cell he had been in before. It was nothing fancy, but there was a proper bed this time and even some small bits of furniture. Nothing he could use as a weapon though, he’d quickly checked for something like that.

Jasper slowly pulled himself up until he was sat against the headboard. He had a sinking feeling that this was the room that Michael had organised for him: a feeling that only got stronger when he looked across and noticed the tray of food sat next to him on the bedside table. There was a sandwich, as well as a yoghurt and an apple, and Jasper swallowed. He took the bottle of water and sipped from it slowly. His body ached but when he looked down, there was nothing different about him aside from a couple bruises from when he’d fallen, and a change of clothes upon his body.

After stretching out his stiff muscles, Jasper slowly got to his feet. He wasn’t entirely sure how long he’d been out for this time but for once he felt well-rested and knew that he needed to make the most of it. He was barefoot and the hard floor felt cool to the touch as he stepped towards the sink. This cell, if he could even call it that now, had a wall concealing the toilet and sink and he was grateful for the cold water that he splashed over his face. There was a fitted mirror there too and as he looked into it, he sighed. His olive skin had paled slightly over the past few days and he looked exhausted. Maybe he wasn’t ready to try and get some answers.

Shaking himself, he moved away from the toilet and back into the main room once more. He couldn’t help himself as he suddenly rushed to the door, tugging and pulling at the handle. It was still a cell. Although the door was no longer like that to a bank safe, it was unyielding to his efforts.

He stopped trying after a few more attempts. Just that small bit of exertion had tired him out and he had to use the wall for support as he headed back to the bed. He sank onto the sheets and, slowly, felt the fire fizzle to nothing more than a spark. Tears rolled down his cheeks and onto his joggers, and Jasper quickly covered his face with his hands. He couldn’t help it. He would have hoped that he could have sworn to never cry in front of the Hunters but it was hard to make a promise like that after everything that had happened. He wanted to mourn Isaac and he wanted to think of his friends but…

He was scared.

It wasn’t long until Jasper heard the lock click and he quickly rubbed his eyes dry. The least he could do was make sure they only saw him cry by spying on him through the cameras. A nurse came into the room and quickly moved over to him, checking his eyes, and ears, and head. She was moving away from him before he could think of a question to ask, and the guard who had come in behind her motioned for him to stand. “Come.” He demanded, and Jasper frowned.

“Where?”

“Don’t think there’s any need for you to ask questions. This way.” The guard said again, but Jasper didn’t move. Partially because he wasn’t wearing any shoes and didn’t feel ready to go, but also because he wanted to know why. What were they going to do to him? “No, I want to know where we’re going first.” The guard narrowed his eyes and suddenly he was flashing another cattle prod, like the one Carver had on his waist.

“You want to repeat that?” He asked, stepping closer. As much as he wanted to know where he was going, Jasper understood quickly when it was a lost cause. He swallowed and quickly shook his head. “N-no- I’ll come.” He got off the bed and padded towards the door, slipping past the guard and heading out into the corridor. The urge to immediately start running was intense and he had to keep his steps small to stop himself from breaking out into a sprint. There was no point, and the guards here seemed fully aware of that.

Though there was plenty of them about, they seemed relatively relaxed. Jasper eyed them up as he was walked past, taking note of the various weapons on their persons. More cattle prods, tasers, and a few of them even had handguns strapped to their thighs. None of their prisoners were in a position to fight back.

His own guard pushed him onward and he swallowed, picking up the pace . They walked along the corridor, past another row of cells like his own, before entering a stairwell. The stairs went up further than Jasper could look without getting dizzy and he was soon pushed to head down them. The cold metal grated against his bare feet and he moved as fast as he could. After two flights, the guard directed him through a heavy metal door and onto the next corridor.

The first smell to hit his nose was blood. This hallway was much wider but with a low ceiling, it felt oppressive and the black doors on either side of him were like judges, deciding his sentence. He had hated the metal stairs before, but somehow this floor was even worse. It was a kind of linoleum that stuck to the bottom of his feet, like it hadn’t been cleaned properly. Bleach mixed with blood assaulted his senses and he fought the desire to cover his nose. He didn’t want to think about the reddish stains that smeared the edges of the floor where it met the walls. He had been able to hear the general hustle and bustle of the prison from the stairwell, but the further they moved down the corridor, the quieter it became, until all he could hear was the guard’s heavy footfalls behind him, and his own stuttered breathing. He was supposed to be going to auction, but from this place he was sure he was about to be strapped down on an operating table and gutted. “What’s happening?” He asked, hating the fear in his voice. He had almost come to a stand-still but the guard grabbed him by the back of his collar and pushed him a few more steps forward until they came to the door labelled ‘Inspection Office’.

Jasper winced as he was pushed through and lost his balance, falling to the floor and banging his knees on the tiles. “Hey!” He went to complain, but then the inevitable happened. He heard a buzz of electricity before the device was shoved against his ribs. Scream caught in his throat, he was thrown onto his stomach by the force and lay there twitching.

The cattle prod had hurt more than he could have imagined it would and he was unable to move. His body didn’t feel like his own, and he knew there was drool pooling beneath his chin. The guard lifted him up and onto an operating table in the centre of the room. He tried to stay sat up, but the guard was the only one with the capability to keep him upright.

Jasper was barely aware of a second person in the room until she moved into his line of sight. She was tall, that much he could tell. Her hair was a kind of dirty blonde, and it was tied up in a high pony-tail that made her cheekbones look even sharper. Her gaze could have melted steel. Her dark eyes glanced away from Jasper and down to a chart in front of her. “Classification: Fairy. Age: Early 20s. Physical health…” She eyed him again and made a few notes on her form before speaking. “Good enough. Get it’s wings out, let’s see them.” She stood up and moved out of Jasper’s sight again. He opened his mouth to speak but could only splutter out a few syllables at most. Anything further than a metre or so in front of him was blurry and after she cut his shirt open, he had no choice but to release his wings when she scratched the centre of his spine.

His wings were big for his size: large enough that at full extension they brushed the cabinets on either side of the office. The top two halves of each wing overlapped one another, whilst the bottoms halves were more intricate in design and more delicate to the touch. All of them were fragile, with thin membrane connecting the bands that ran through them and they tapered off into thin tendrils that fluttered with the slightest breeze. The most noticeable thing about his wings however was their deep purple that twinkled like the purest amethyst. “Born sometime in February. Fully developed.” The woman was still prattling on but Jasper enjoyed the moment. Despite the horrific circumstances, it felt nice to finally release his wings. It had been so long since the last time after all. She tapped the tip of each wing in turn and they twitched in response. “Good response time. It seems we’ve got a nice healthy specimen here.”

By this point, Jasper was starting to come to again and he quickly realised what this was all about. They only wanted to know how much they could get for him. “I have a name you know…” He muttered, angry at her attitude but wary of the guard holding him. He felt the grip on his shoulder tighten and quickly shut his mouth.

At his words, the woman moved around to stand in front of him. She still wasn’t paying him any real attention, but continued to write on the form as she spoke. “Specimen has some personality flaws that will require attention. I’m sure someone from marketing can figure out a way to make that sound desirable. Strap it down now.”

With just one command, the guard suddenly moved into action. Jasper barely had a second to fold his wings away before he was being forced down onto his back and heavy cuffs were locked around his wrists and ankles. “H-hey what are you doing-! Get off me, let me go!” He yelled, fighting against the guard. The restraints held steady despite his efforts but even as he started to sweat, he didn’t give up. The woman had moved back to him now with a pair of bolt cutters and Jasper felt his blood run cold. He’d heard the rumours but surely they didn’t still do this to those they registered. It wasn’t right it wasn’t ethical it wasn’t-

He screamed as the cutters came down on his left pinkie finger. It took the digit straight off just above the knuckle and Jasper could feel the blood spurting from the wound. He struggled to escape the pain, crying for them to let him go. His pleas went unnoticed until there was a second burst of pain and he yelled even louder as the smell of burning flesh hit his nostrils.

“Registration is complete. Take him back to his cell.” She had cauterised the wound to stop the bleeding, but the pain was no better than it had been before. The skin was already beginning to blister. Jasper tried to lash out at the guard who freed him from his restraints, but he was shoved to the floor and kicked out the door regardless. Still crying, he struggled to get to his feet. “Y-you’re a fucking monster!” He called, trying to see some emotion on her face that was at least a little bit close to guilt. She smiled. “Thank you.” With that she shut the door, and Jasper was forced to make the trek back up to his room with the guard shoving him the whole way.

As soon as they got back to his room, Jasper collapsed on his bed. There was too much adrenaline coursing through his veins for him to sleep and so he curled up in a ball against the wall, nursing his injured hand and crying into the pillow. No matter where he went now, he would be recognisable. Escape was seeming more and more unlikely by the minute.

********

It was dark. Either from exhaustion or shock, Jasper had eventually fallen asleep and when he woke up, his room was pitch black. There was no window but he could only assume that the lights were turned off because night had fallen. And so, once again, he was left alone with his thoughts. He sat up. The pain in his finger had subsided to a dull throb but he was glad for the lack of light. He was sure he would have thrown up if he could have seen it.

He reached out for the bedside table with his good hand and frowned when he realised the food from earlier had been taken away. He was weak: too weak to fight back if he needed to. He sighed and let his head fall back against the wall. Why was he worried about fighting? He had already been shown that struggling was pointless and yet… he couldn’t bring himself to give up. Even if acting sweet towards the guards was the way to get what he wanted, he couldn’t sit still and let them mutilate his body again. It was too painful to feel that control taken away from him. He closed his eyes again. The darkness was comforting in a way that the bright lights of that office hadn’t been. He felt like no one could see him. He was wrapped in a blanket of silence, and nothing could take that away from him.

It took more than an hour for him to find the will to move. Once on his feet, he felt his way along the wall and into the bathroom where he used the toilet and drank some water from the tap. His finger was starting to itch and when he banged it against the sink, he let out a hiss of pain. It didn’t feel like it was getting infected, but how could he be sure? He had no idea whether or not those bolt cutters or anything else in this god forsaken place was properly clean.

He was about to try and wash his face when he realised he could see the clear outline of his fingers. He had adjusted to the darkness a few hours ago, but there had been zero light before. Now, he could even see the shadow of his reflection in the mirror.

“Jasper?” A familiar whisper sounded like a shout in the quiet room and he flinched. When he turned the corner, Michael was stood by the bed. It was too dark to see his expression, but there was concern in his gaze. “What do you want?” Jasper couldn’t help the bite to his words and he moved over to his bed, not giving Michael the satisfaction of knowing his pain. Michael shut the door then, and the light above them flickered on. It was too bright, and Jasper quickly covered his eyes.

When they had adjusted enough for him to see without discomfort, Michael was sat on the bed next to him and his brows furrowed with concern. “What-“

“How does it feel? I’m- I would have told you but I knew you would never have gone with them.” Michael was already grabbing his hand, taking a look at his finger and the burns surrounding it. Jasper didn’t know he was scared till he started shaking. “It’s fine.” He muttered, watching as Michael took a small bottle from his pocket. “What’s that? W-what are you doing?” Even his voice was quivering now and he whimpered when Michael squirted some of the gel onto his finger. He rubbed it in gently, making Jasper squeeze his eyes shut. The blisters sizzled, then slowly began to deflate. “Hope that helps.” Michael muttered, placing a folded gauze over the new end of the finger and then wrapping the stump in bandages. Jasper watched in a kind of stupor as Michael finished dressing the wound before pulling a tinfoil package out of his pocket. “Sorry it’s not more. It’s all I could sneak.” He handed the package over and Jasper, still in shock, fumbled to open it. There was a jacket potato with butter and cheese in there and though it was cold, the smell was nearly enough to make Jasper drool all over again.

He tried to ignore his shame as he practically inhaled the food. Whilst he ate, Michael said nothing. The look on his face was impossible to read but he never looked away from Jasper and almost seemed fixated upon him. He finished eating, and soon realised he felt painfully awkward around the older man. Was he supposed to say thank you? Was he supposed to stay quiet and not ask any questions? What questions could he even ask?

He decided on a small nod. “Thank you… I don’t- I don’t understand why you’ve helped me and I’m not sure if I want to know. I just- I needed that. Thank you.” He repeated, a pale blush rising on his cheeks. There was no answer from Michael, instead he kept staring. Just as Jasper was starting to feel uncomfortable, he replied. “Can I see them?”

Michael never said what he meant by ‘them’, but somehow Jasper knew. He was surprised to hear the request, but he couldn’t find it in himself to say no. Not after everything that Michael had done for him so far.

His shirt was still torn open from when he’d been in the Inspection room, and his wings unfurled with little difficulty. The cell wasn’t really big enough for him to spread them fully and soon they hid most of the wall next to the bed, almost creating a cocoon encompassing the two of them. There was no change to Michael’s expression, but his pupils had blown wide. He couldn’t tear his gaze away. Jasper predicted the next question much faster than he finally heard it and he quickly nodded. One touch wouldn’t hurt. Michael was only curious: most humans were.

Even still, Jasper shuddered as he first felt rough fingers ghosting over the membranes. His wings fluttered in response and Jasper cleared his throat. The last person to touch his wings had been Isaac and tears well up in his eyes before he could blink them away. Michael was nothing but gentle, he had no reason to get upset.

Michael moved over the tops of the wings, then down and across the main panes in-between. He followed the delicate curves to the ends where they twirled and spun into tiny wisps. Jasper’s breath caught in his throat when Michael let one of the tendrils wrap around his finger. He spun it once before releasing it. With such sensitive wings, each touch left Jasper breathless with emotions he couldn’t even begin to process. He wanted to tell Michael to stop, but he couldn’t bring himself to say anything. No harm was being done. Michael repeated his actions with each wing, taking his time in inspecting the markings that adorned them. In the plain room, the purple only glowed brighter and Jasper could see their hypnotic allure reflected in Michael’s gaze. Only once he was content did he finally sit back.

Without a word, he got up, and left the room.

The door slammed shut behind him and Jasper was left in the dark once more. Alone, confused, and deeply concerned.


	5. Attached

There was no way for Jasper to know for certain when morning had arrived but the bowl of porridge that slid through the slot at the bottom of his door was a pretty good indicator. Michael’s actions were still baffling him and, as he ate, he mulled over the implications of how he was being treated. So far, Michael had gotten nothing out of this. He’d provided Jasper with a new room with a bed and working toilet, as well as securing him better food and even patching up his wound. He looked to the bandages then and hissed in pain when he tried to move the stump. At least it wasn’t bleeding.

After finishing his breakfast, Jasper pushed the bowl back under the door before moving to the sink to wash his face and get ready for the day ahead. As far as he knew, there wouldn’t actually be a whole lot for him to do. This wasn’t like regular prison. No one was going to try and rehabilitate him or make him into a better person. He assumed that most of the guards saw him and all the other prisoners as monsters. There would be few activities planned for him, if any.

He finished washing his face then stripped out of his clothes and washed his body down. He had noticed a clean change of clothes folded neatly on the chair and frowned. Michael. Jasper was distracted by his thoughts as he dried off and slipped the new clothes on. He couldn’t understand what Michael was thinking but each theory became darker than the next. It was plausible that Michael’s intentions were completely benevolent. However, it was more likely that Michael wanted something from Jasper. He didn’t need to think long to wonder what. Still frowning, Jasper settled on the edge of his bed and wrapped his arms around his body. Would he whore himself out for better treatment? Doing so wouldn’t change his fate; nor would it help him at all in the long run. Michael was odd though. If he’d wanted sex, he would have surely asked for it before. He would have touched Jasper or only promised to give him nicer things in exchange for his body. Looking around his room, Jasper already had a much nicer place to sleep as well as all of the other benefits he was enjoying. It was troubling, to say the least.

With nothing to do, Jasper ended up using the free time to stretch his muscles. His body was sore from doing nothing for so long so he took it easy with a few strength exercises and jogged on the spot until he was rosy-cheeked and out of breath. It was ironic really. These four walls weren’t all that different to the ones he had left behind. It seemed he had only exchanged one set for another as although his home had been a different kind of prison, it was a prison nonetheless.

He looked up at the sound of keys jangling in the lock and found himself moving back against the wall instinctively. The door swung open, revealing another guard. There were so many that he doubted he’d get the same one twice. “It’s time for your afternoon activity slot. You missed the one yesterday so this will be new to you. You will be allowed an hours conversation with another prisoner, during which you are not permitted to touch them and at no point will your shackles be removed. After this hour, you are given the choice of either an hour outside, or an hour of TV time. Which would you prefer?” Like all the other guards, this one seemed to lack a personality of any kind and the words were so monotone that had Jasper not had a good night’s sleep, he probably would have dozed off. He licked his lips, trying not to let his annoyance show. “Outside.”

“Good. Now turn around, hands behind your back.” The guard ordered, and Jasper did so with a little reluctance. He felt cuffs secure around both of his wrists and bit his lips when they dug into his skin. He turned around once they were secure. “Come.” With a nod of his head, the guard led the way out of the cell.

Unlike yesterday, Jasper ascended the stairwell this time until he was led out and onto what was presumably the ground floor. For the first time in days he was able to see sunlight. The windows weren’t huge but the light flickering through warmed his skin and he sighed a little. Soon. Soon he would be able to go outside and actually enjoy it first-hand. He followed the guard past just a few more doors before he was showed into another cell. Only this one already had someone in it.

“You have one hour.” The guard muttered, shoving Jasper forward before shutting the door behind him and locking it.

He only allowed himself a second to stare at the door before he turned to the figure crouched on the bed in front of him. There was an elf there, and she was staring at him with suspicion lacing her gaze. He felt intimidated by her presence and looked away. This room was much nicer than his own and even had a window, though it was protected by heavy bars. There was a separate bathroom and the bed was closer to a double than a single in size.

A soft voice suddenly demanded his attention. “Let me guess, this is your first socialisation hour, right?” She drawled. Jasper nodded, not trusting himself to speak. This was someone just like him so he was confused as to why he couldn’t find the words to say hello.

He moved over to the bed, sitting as far away from her as possible. She was cuffed as well. There was silence for a few more minutes before she sighed. “My name is Ashera.” She began, pausing to let Jasper respond. He blinked, looking up to her and finally allowing himself to take in her appearance. Aside from her pointed ears, the other major giveaway was her hair. Part of it had been cut, but the rest reached down to her waist and shimmered bright and golden. He swallowed. “Jasper.” He replied thickly. “How did you end up here?” He asked, unable to stop himself. It was the only other thing he knew they had in common. A shared trauma.

She shrugged, sitting back and letting out a huff of what could be called laughter if it wasn’t so bitter. “Same as you I imagine. You can only run from these bastards for so long. They caught me whilst I was at work. Apparently one of my co-workers had caught a glimpse of my ears and had reported me and that was that.”

Jasper wanted to reach out to her but held back. Regardless of whether or not he could have touched her with the restraints on his wrists, he was sure she didn’t want the comfort. “Yeah I learnt that the hard way too. There was thirteen of us living in our house.” He explained, settling back on the bed despite the fact it crushed his hands beneath him. “Three of them were out and I think they got caught. They were forced to fess up and our house was raided. I don’t know where the others ar-“

“What species are you?” Ashera suddenly interrupted and he blinked, looking over to her. She was staring at him again and he flushed.

“Can’t you tell?” He muttered, quirking a brow. “I thought elves could sense it.” She shook her head. “I’m a fairy. And before you ask, no I’m not going to magic us out of here. Even if I was strong enough to attempt it, we wouldn’t get far.” He had been expecting her to get angry but she rolled her eyes and looked away from him.

“I’m not stupid.”

There was a tense silence for a few minutes. Jasper was the one to break it. “You didn’t know a Faramir or Maylina, did you?” He whispered, remembering the two bodies he had glimpsed on that fated day. Ashera shook her head and Jasper released a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding in. “I never knew many of my own kind, and I’ve met even fewer here. My auction is in two days.” She tried to laugh but Jasper heard the familiar hitch of her breath. “Guess I’ll never get to.”

He looked at her, struggling to sit up on the bed. He wanted to say that it was going to be okay but how could he promise something like that when he knew it wasn’t that simple? She could be bought by anyone.

“Don’t talk about that.” Jasper choked out, feeling the emotion rising in his chest. In a month this would be him and he didn’t want to think of it. He shuffled closer on the bed, hesitating for the briefest of moments before he allowed his body to lean into hers. She stiffened, nearly flinching away, before relaxing. It was nice. “Teach me about the elves.” He whispered. He had never had the chance to learn about species other than his own, and the two elves who had shared his home had always been secretive. Now was as good a time as any.

It was quiet in the room and he was sure she was going to refuse before she finally spoke.

When she began, her voice was sweet and sour all at once: melancholy, and yet melodic. “The elves are the second oldest race, only younger than the vampires. It is said that we were spawned during the times of the ancient Greeks, conjured by Athena herself to be her loyal warriors. We were strong and fiercely intelligent and concealed ourselves as the advisors to many great kings and rulers of the time. The majority of us lived in great cities hidden away in the mountains and forests of the world. Our combined power was enough to keep humans from stumbling upon us and our lands thrived in secret. The ancient scriptures show huge temples built from quartz and amethyst that winked at passing travellers. We were great builders and took pride in our work. In some areas of the world there was no need for us to hide our ways as we were revered. Although we may not have the magic of the fairies or the bloodlust of the vampires, we are fast and agile and far more capable than the average human. We heal quickly and are capable living for many hundreds of years. Humans worshipped us for our power and grace. I am only young. I was born just four years after mythical creatures were declared as enemies of humanity.” She faltered in her tale then, stiffening a little against Jasper. “Even now, elves are so secretive. I fear we may perish before we ever get the chance to share our stories with the rest of the world.” She whispered. Jasper was enthralled by her tale. He could picture the great elven cities of legend with just a touch of reality now and he wanted to know more.

Ashera was happy to divulge. For the rest of their time in that room together, she spoke of the elven traditions. They would go to pray to their Gods each morning before dawn, and as their chants culminated, the sun would rise above the horizon and illuminate the quartz temples. She spoke of the foods they would eat; lamenting that she had been unable to try all of the delicacies that were listed in the archives. Every time she spoke of the things she had missed, she would grow sad, and Jasper would urge her on to speak of happy times and of the memory of her people.

Their time together came to an end far too soon. Ashera’s soothing voice and the elven stories were the first bit of comfort he’d had since entering this hellhole and he nearly yelped when he was dragged to his feet by the guard. “Okay Okay I’m going-!” He snapped, unable to help himself. The guard smacked him across the face and he hissed, dropping his head. He was able to get just one last glance in Ashera’s direction, one final word, before he was pushed outside and the door was slammed shut. He hadn’t expected to get to say goodbye and perhaps he hadn’t needed it, but he had wanted to wish her luck. God only knew fate wasn’t on their side.

Jasper’s thoughts were too glum for him to truly enjoy the hour he got to spend outside. It was a warm day but the sun’s heat seemed to pass straight through him. “Don’t go far.” The guard muttered, before settling down on a bench just a couple metres away.

Outside of the facility, Jasper could see the true gravity of his situation. There was a huge enclosure that encircled the building like a dome. Like the kind of bird cages you might find at a zoo. He felt just like an animal in that moment. He swallowed, staring at the building they had exited. It wasn’t as big as he had thought it might be, but he knew from the size of the stairwell that most of the prison was underground. It was easier to break a prisoner’s spirits when they couldn’t hope to see the outside world.

He settled down on the grass and took a deep breath of the fresh air. It calmed his frayed nerves and though he was still hurting from his brief time with Ashera, it was a much-needed break from the claustrophobic corridors down below.

There were others out there with him, each with their own guard. He could see an angel spreading her wings, and a wolf covered in chains and restrained with a muzzle pacing by the bars that separated him from freedom. Jasper wanted to approach them but when he tried to get to his feet, the guard cleared his throat. “Communication is forbidden.” He reminded, glaring in Jasper’s direction. Despite himself, Jasper glared right back at him. “Even with you? Thank god.” He muttered, remaining seated on the floor. The guard glared right back at him.

“Be thankful I’m not allowed to punch your smug little face. You’re going to find yourself up shit’s creek if you keep going with that attitude.” Jasper rolled his eyes, clicking his tongue and looking back to where the wolf was pacing up and down. He watched as the wolf snarled at his handler and was met with the smack of a heavy looking weapon that left him slumped on the ground. Jasper could only be thankful that violence wasn’t engrained in his nature. “I’m not going to argue with someone as low-ranking as you. It’s not worth the headache.” Jasper retorted, earning himself another smack.

He hadn’t noticed the guard get up but he was acutely aware of how close the man was now. “Watch your tongue.” Jasper wanted to talk back but held back, settling for a steady glare.

When he was sure that Jasper wasn’t going to retaliate again, the guard settled back down on the bench. Though now his hand was resting carefully upon the weapon on his hip. He kept a close eye upon Jasper for the rest of their time outside, and Jasper did well to behave himself. He wanted so badly to act out and cause a scene but the slaps had reminded him of his place and he forced himself to just enjoy the sun. He didn’t want to go back to his cell when the time came but there wasn’t much choice as he was dragged to his feet and pushed in the direction of the building again. They were heading down the stairs when the guard was stopped by none other than Michael.

“Good afternoon, Evan. You’re welcome to take your break now. I’ll take this one back to his room.” Michael stated, almost emotionless. Jasper noticed that he was the first person to refer to him as a man and not just a thing. Frowning, Evan looked between the two of them before shrugging. “Whatever.” He muttered, glaring in Jasper’s direction as he turned on his heels and headed up the stairs.

If this had occurred a few days prior, Jasper would have remained quiet. As it was, he was starting to believe he had no reason to fear this particular Hunter. “What’s up?” He asked, trying to make eye-contact with the man in front of him. Michael shook his head as he moved forward and undid Jasper’s cuffs, Jasper remembering how those hands had touched and petted his wings with such delicacy. He blushed. “I’m assuming you would like a proper shower. I’m off duty, thought you would appreciate it.” Michael explained, nodding his head and continuing down the stairs. Jasper followed without hesitation.

He should be exercising caution really. Maybe Michael just wanted the chance to get him alone and from the way he looked at him, Jasper was starting to realise what he really wanted out of this. He just wasn’t scared.

They were on the same floor as Jasper’s current cell and the room they went into was just a couple of doors down. It was changing room of sorts with rows of lockers on the walls and a series of showers just around the corner. Michael reached into one of the lockers, pulling out a towel and change of clothes. He passed them to Jasper with a quirk of his lips. “I’ll wait here.” Jasper eyed up the clothes and towel with suspicion.

“And you’ll stay here? Just like that. No following me into the shower, no joining me for a steamy make out session?” Jasper couldn’t help himself. He’d had his reservations around Michael but this was too confusing for him to even begin to understand. If Michael wanted something from him then this was his chance. Michael, however, was sat on one of the benches, hands folded neatly in his lap. He didn’t seem surprised by Jasper’s outburst but took a second to find the right way to reply.

“I want you, Jasper.” Those were his first words. Jasper opened his mouth to shoot a biting insult back but found he didn’t know what words to use. The honesty had caught him completely off-guard. “But I want you to want me back.” Michael continued. He had stood up and was staring Jasper down now. “I don’t- I don’t want you to be scared of me. You can have whatever you want whilst you’re here.”

Jasper swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat. He didn’t know what to say. “You can’t just buy my affection.” He whispered, feeling vulnerable and exposed in the quiet bathroom.

Michael still seemed harmless but after his confession, Jasper worried that he was already trapped in something he couldn’t get out of. How long had they known each other? On that note, they didn’t really know each other at all! Jasper knew nothing about the Hunter in front of him and Michael knew the same amount about Jasper as the rest of the goons here. He stumbled backwards when Michael got to his feet, taking steps backwards even as the man continued his approach. Michael stopped in front of him; not quite close enough to cage him in against the lockers but close enough that Jasper could feel the heat from his body. He tried to swallow again, but his mouth felt dry.

Michael raised a hand and brushed it gently over Jasper’s face. His touch was almost sweet in the way he ran his thumb along the curve of Jasper’s bottom lip. He whined softly in response. “I know.” Michael muttered, staring down at Jasper with that burning intensity in his gaze. “Go shower.” And just like that, he was stepping back and allowing Jasper the room to think again.

Shaking with the tension of that meeting, Jasper quickly grabbed his towel and headed into the showers.


	6. Starved

This would not be the last time Jasper wished his life had ended on that fateful day.

After his shower the day before, Jasper had found himself unable to keep his mind clear. If he wasn’t thinking about Michael and that striking confession, his mind was sinking into darker places. He worried about the fates of his friends whose company he had always taken for granted. Kafir and Felicity had always known how to make him laugh. Jasper hated knowing that they would have little to laugh about now. Whether they were going to join him in an auction, or were already working in a retreat, he imagined they too would have preferred death over chains. As much as he hated that, Jasper hated that he was jealous. Jealous of Isaac. He didn’t have to feel the burning pain of loss that had lodged deep within Jasper’s heart. Isaac was free from the cruelty of captivity, and the bitter sting of loneliness.

Jasper had never felt so isolated. There was no noise in his cell. Not even the monotonous tick of a clock or the whir of electronics. He was completely, and utterly, alone.

For the third time since he had woken up, Jasper started to cry. His tears ran dry but his chest still quivered with each sob that shook his body. There was nothing to distract him from his grief and not even the pangs of hunger in his stomach drew him out of his misery. A tray had been pushed through the slot at the bottom of his door but he couldn’t bring himself to go to it.

The worst part of all this? Jasper was so tempted by Michael’s offer.

He had never experienced such a deep sense of hopelessness and it only worsened every time he thought about it all. Isaac had been dead for less than a week and it seemed Jasper was already willing to move on. Or was it that he was just desperate for a way to forget? It had been years since he’d had to sleep by himself.

Time dragged on in that silent space. Eventually, Jasper heard the slot at the bottom of his door open again and another tray scraped along the floor as it was pushed into the room. Lunchtime. He ignored it. From what he’d experienced so far, the guards usually let the trays pile up until they next came into the room. Jasper knew he should get up and put on a fresh change of clothes ready for his allotted hour of socialisation, but he didn’t have the energy to move. He wanted to be with someone; he just wasn’t ready to talk.

Unfortunately, his peace was soon disturbed. “What the fuck-!” The door had opened and when the guard stepped in, his foot landed on one of the trays and he exclaimed as he nearly slipped. Cursing, he kicked the food out of the way. “Get up you lazy fuck.”

Jasper was dragged from the bed by his collar and he wasn’t ashamed when he lashed out against the guard. One, two, three hits landed before he was thrown to the floor. He groaned, going to roll over but meeting a boot instead. “S-screw you.” He spluttered. The kick to his stomach had completely winded him and if he’d eaten anything, he probably would have thrown it back up.

“Ah I see how it is. Feeling all sorry for yourself? Monsters like you don’t deserve sympathy so shut the hell up.” The guard, one Jasper now recognised as Evan, grabbed a fistful of his hair and dragged him back up again. Jasper winced, trying to fight back but finding his strength failed him. Evan’s eyes were narrowed and the sneer on his face was anything but friendly. “I refuse to put up with being assigned to another brat so you’re either going to grow up and behave, or I won’t hesitate to put you in your place.” Jasper glared at him and was met with another slap. For a second, he was sure he saw stars in his vision. “What’s it going to be?” Evan hissed. Though he wanted to argue, Jasper nodded weakly. He didn’t have the strength for this.

He was dropped almost immediately and whimpered when he hit the floor. Evan snorted as he stepped over him to grab the food that had been strewn about the floor. “Good. You can get fucked if you think you’re getting anything else to eat today. If you’re not going to be grateful, then the government isn’t going to continue to waste money on you.”

As he cleared up the food, Jasper struggled to sit up. His stomach was aching from the kicks and a bruise was already blossoming on his cheek. Despite all that though, the biggest pain was knowing how useless he had been at fighting back. How could he have let himself give up that easily? He swallowed, pulling himself up and onto the bed once more.

“Who do I get to speak to today?” He asked, only an edge of attitude to his voice. Evan didn’t look at him, but Jasper could hear the smirk to his voice.

“Oh we’ve got you a real treat today.”

Jasper swallowed nervously. He didn’t like the sound of that and though part of him wanted to believe there were no bad creatures here, he knew better than that. Just like humans, Mythies had all their own preferences and prejudices.

After having cleaned up the cell, Evan placed the cuffs back on Jasper before pushing him out of the room once more. Jasper was already regretting having not cleaned himself up. He knew his hair was a mess and his clothes less than fresh. Luckily the shower the day before meant that at the very least he wasn’t dirty.

He had been expecting, like the day before, to head up a flight of stairs or two till they reached the ground floor but instead they made a right and turned down the stairwell. His breath caught in his chest when it seemed they would be going back onto that godforsaken corridor from the beginning. At the last moment they stopped on the level above it and Jasper shuddered with relief. Even still, this place didn’t seem much better. From the faint smell of damp, it was likely the location of his first cell and that wasn’t somewhere he wanted to return to.

They stopped in front of a cell and as soon as the door was opened, Jasper was hit with the overpowering scent of blood. He tried not to gag, but it was almost enough to make his eyes water. The room was dark, but he could see the glow of two red orbs in the corner. “Don’t have too much fun now, will you?” Evan smirked, shoving Jasper forward then shutting the door behind him.

Jasper wanted out. Fairies didn’t do well in the dark. They certainly didn’t do well in the presence of blood-sucking monsters either.

A low voice spoke then. It wasn’t as deep as Jasper had expected it would be, but it was rough and there was a dark edge to it that made him shiver. “You new?” He nodded, not trusting himself to speak. The figure muttered something under his breath then, cracking his neck before standing up. He was tall; much taller than Jasper was. He towered over the young fairy and eyed him up with that blood red gaze. The poise in the way he held himself reminded Jasper of a snake preparing to strike. Or at least, that’s what he thought he was up against. “You’re more naïve than you look if you think they would ever let me hurt you, so I don’t know why you’re standing there looking like you’re about to shit your pants.” He scoffed, shaking his head before going and sitting back down again.

There was silence between the two of them for a moment as Jasper tried to figure out what he wanted to do, before he slowly went and settled on the other end of the mattress. He was barely perched on it and felt ready to spring away if necessary. He’d always been taught not to trust vampires.

“What’s your name?” He asked after a moment, voice a lot more vulnerable sounding than he’d hoped it would be.

“Does it matter?” The man replied, though he huffed and responded anyway. “Just call me Levi.” Jasper nodded, shifting on the mattress to try and get more comfortable. His cuffs were digging into his skin and he hissed softly. Levi focused his attention on him then. “Your guard really doesn’t like you, does he? I can’t understand why. You seem harmless enough.” Frowning, Jasper shrugged a little. He hated how right Levi was. He wasn’t a threat but he was annoying and that was why he was pushed around like so. Things would be different if Michael was his guard. Only, different in a very specific kind of way.

“I am. I talk back, think he’s just trying to teach me a lesson. He tried to scare me about coming in here, and I can’t lie-“

“You were.” Levi finished his sentence for him, staring him down. “And you should be. We’re designed like that, after all. The majority of us don’t kill when we feed but we’re still predators, and prey like you is programmed to run from us.” Jasper shivered at being referred to as prey but at the same time, he couldn’t help but smile. He looked up from where he had been staring at the dirty floor to look at Levi. Now his eyes had adjusted to the light, he could tell the man before him was attractive.

He could see heavy set brows and a chiselled jawline that looked like it had been sculpted by the gods. With dark hair and a mysterious aura, Jasper didn’t need to ask why he was here. People were attracted to danger as much as they were to good looks.

Jasper wasn’t sure how to respond and frowned softly. “I- I’m sorry. I can’t imagine it’s easy for you. You didn’t ask to be born the way you are, just like me. Just like all of us.”

He could tell he had surprised Levi because the older man sat back against the wall and didn’t reply with some snarky comment. Eventually, he just smiled. “Thanks.” His fangs glimmered in the low light for the briefest second but Jasper’s gaze was already drawn to them like a moth to the flame. Levi pursed his lips and his smile disappeared as quickly as it had been formed. Jasper wasn’t done though.

“Do they let you feed here?” It was probably a rude question, but he’d never had the chance to get to know those from other species. Aside from the people he had lived with, he’d never really met any other Mythies and his parents had always kept him isolated. It was the only way to ensure safety after all.

Levi didn’t seem offended, though he did click his tongue as though he was thinking of a way to respond. “Not enough. They make sure we do not starve by giving us animal blood, but by not drinking pure blood we cannot remain strong enough to use our abilities. That’s how they prefer us. I would skin each and every one of the guards here alive until they were begging for death if I had my chance. They keep us on tight leashes, if they’re lucky enough to catch us in the first place. I’ve evaded capture twice before this, but we can’t run forever…” He trailed off into comfortable silence and Jasper stared at his lap. He knew how that felt. After a moment, Levi continued.

“It’s not a comfortable way to live for us. Half-starved.”

He rubbed his stomach then and Jasper knew how he must be feeling. The offer left his lips before he could stop to think it over.

“You can feed from me, if you want?” He flushed a little, looking away in shame as he hurried to specify the conditions of his offer. God only knew how long it had been since Levi last fed properly and Jasper wasn’t going to play with fire if this man was too desperate to hold himself back. “A-as long as you wouldn’t get into trouble or leave a scar, I don’t mind. It wouldn’t hurt much… would it?” The uncertainty was painfully obvious in his voice and Jasper rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. He didn’t know what Levi looked like right now, but he could feel his stare.

After nearly a minute of silence, Levi swallowed. “Are you sure? I’m not going to lie. By offering you’ve basically made it impossible for me to say no. It won’t be pleasant, but you’ll be okay. It won’t scar either. I’ll make sure of that.”

Jasper felt the bed dip and when he looked across, Levi was much closer than he had been before. He hesitated for just a moment, before nodding once.

He didn’t know what he’d been expecting, but when Levi leaned in and sank his teeth into his neck, it wasn’t quite how he’d pictured it. There was a brief sting of pain as the fangs pierced his skin but aside from that it really wasn’t that bad. Until Levi started to drink. It suddenly felt as though his very life force was being drained from him drop by drop and Jasper had to remind himself to breathe. Heart pounding, he felt his hands begin to shake and his body tremble. He tried to settle his breathing but before he knew it his vision was fading and in just a simple moment, the world went black.

When Jasper woke, he was curled into a ball in the middle of the bed. Though his mind felt slow and sluggish, he could feel a weight at the bottom of the mattress and quickly remembered where he was, and what had happened. He’d been scared for a second when everything had gone dark, but he should have known he had nothing to fear. Levi had been true to his word.

He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes and blinking owlishly. Levi watched; eyes narrowed. “You okay kid?”

Jasper took another moment to let the world stop spinning before he finally smiled. “Just fine. You look better.” Maybe someone who didn’t care to look wouldn’t notice, but Jasper took pride in the fact some of the shadows had gone from Levi’s face and even his eyes looked less demented than before. Just because he couldn’t help his own family, didn’t mean he couldn’t help others. They were all in this situation together, regardless of where they came from beforehand. The Hunters didn’t discriminate. 

“You have no idea.” Levi actually laughed a little, relaxing now that Jasper awake and seemingly okay. “Thank you. And I mean it. It’s been awhile since I’ve felt like myself.”

Nodding, Jasper continued to smile. There wasn’t much to say because he knew he had done all he could. Levi didn’t seem to want to talk, so they didn’t. He wasn’t in the room for much longer before the guard came, and in that time the two of them simply appreciated one another’s presence. When he was shoved up the stairs, Jasper felt in much better spirits than before. Only Evan didn’t lead him back onto the same corridor as his cell.

Jasper frowned, anxiety flooding his systems. “Where are we going?” Evan scowled.

“Not like it’s any of your business, but you’ve been allocated to a new cell. Again. I’m sick of moving your worthless ass to be honest and because of that, I can’t be bothered to take you outside. You can miss a day today.” Though he wanted to complain, Jasper was too surprised by the fact he was changing cells again to form a coherent response. Not to mention the sharp metal of the stairs sliced at his bare feet as he was roughly pushed forward, and Evan’s annoyance was palpable. Jasper really didn’t want to test him again.

This was the same floor that Ashera had been on. Jasper saw the twinkling sunlight before he felt the warmth on his skin, but his enjoyment of the moment was short-lived. Evan was ushering him down the corridor and, to his surprise, stopped them outside of Ashera’s room. Only, when the door opened, it was empty.

It didn’t matter how long he’d known her for. The pain of realising where she had gone was enough to cause a spike of pain in his chest.

“Get in.” Evan muttered, shoving his fist into Jasper’s back. His knuckles caught against the bruises that were already there and Jasper hissed in response. Seemingly unsatisfied, Evan yanked him to the floor by his hair causing him to fall on his backside with a cry. Jasper glared up at him, tears in his eyes. “What’s your problem?!”

“I want to know what you’ve been doing for Michael to make him go through all this trouble, cause I know for a fact that you haven’t been doing his laundry.” He snapped, venom lacing his words.

Jasper cheeks flamed red and he found himself scowling right back at Evan. “I’ve done nothing for him!”

“Liar!”

Jasper’s head snapped to the side then with the force of Evan’s slap. The sting was a dull reminder of his position, and he made the wise decision not to make eye-contact with the guard again. He couldn’t afford to keep challenging him.

Evan went quiet then. Jasper didn’t hear him move, but he didn’t dare look to see what was happening. “You’re going to regret sleeping with that man.”

The words hit Jasper like a ton of bricks. He’d barely touched Michael, and he didn’t even want to in the first place. What was more worrying though, was the threatening edge to Evan’s voice that cut through Jasper’s weak psyche with ease. Before he could think of a way to respond, Evan was huffing under his breath and storming out the room.

Jasper slumped over onto his side. He was exhausted from hardly sleeping, barely eating, and now from offering his blood to Levi. Though he didn’t regret helping out the other man, it was certainly having an effect on his body now.

The situation was spiralling out of control. He’d never had any power in the first place, but now he seemed to be falling headfirst into a relationship he didn’t understand. Michael had made it clear what he wanted and whilst Jasper was starting to realise he didn’t necessarily have a problem with that, he wasn’t prepared to get involved in something if it was going to put him in any more danger. And from what Evan had said… Michael was doing things he shouldn’t be. He was getting him new rooms, better food, and proper treatment, even though Jasper had never done a thing for him. Was he really his ally? Could Jasper trust him?

He didn’t want to make the wrong decision.

************

As day turned to night once more, Jasper was finally able to watch the sunset disappear below the horizon. He had finally pulled himself off the floor, only to clamber into his new bed where he could see the last rays of light sink out of his vision. Even in his state of turmoil, just being able to see the outside world was enough to calm his mind. The peace was only skin deep. The longer he stared through those bars, the more he understood that this might be the only way he got to see freedom for the rest of his life. If the person who bought him had the right gadgets, he may be lucky enough to run errands for them and leave the house. If not… Well, at least he had this moment.

Darkness fell, and Jasper curled up beneath the covers. The bed wasn’t quite the size of a double, but it was much bigger than before, and yet he remained huddled against the wall with his back to the door. It felt safer this way.

Like he could imagine another body settled behind him, or another pair of lips breathing soft breaths onto the back of his neck.

He had loved Isaac with all his heart. They would always fall asleep in this way; with Jasper curled into Isaac’s lanky body, fingers intertwined. And then, when they woke up in the morning in a tangle of limbs and ruffled linen, those same hands would trace over his skin. They would press into the dimples in his back, cup his cheek, or stroke through his hair.

There was none of that tonight. The only sensations that Jasper could feel was the dull throb of bruises blossoming on his paling skin, the painful gnawing in his stomach, and the overwhelming realisation that this was it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is Michael a bad guy? I dunno but Evan is a little bitch. Let me know what you think! :)

**Author's Note:**

> This is an original work, but I'm still hoping to get some interest shown in it as I was really happy with this story idea and hope others are too.


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